British & Irish Lions’ Brian O’Driscoll dives over for one of the team’s 10 tries on Tuesday. David Rogers / Getty Images
British & Irish Lions’ Brian O’Driscoll dives over for one of the team’s 10 tries on Tuesday. David Rogers / Getty Images
British & Irish Lions’ Brian O’Driscoll dives over for one of the team’s 10 tries on Tuesday. David Rogers / Getty Images
British & Irish Lions’ Brian O’Driscoll dives over for one of the team’s 10 tries on Tuesday. David Rogers / Getty Images

British & Irish Lions legend Brian O'Driscoll not about to fall


Paul Radley
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The thousands of supporters who travel to the other side of the world to watch the British & Irish Lions can start dusting off the songsheets from 12 years ago: Waltzing O'Driscoll is set for a return to the top of the hit parade.

The touring side had little to gain from their mismatch against the amateurs of the Combined Country XV on Tuesday.

It was always likely to be one-sided and 10 tries collected and none conceded suggests it was exactly that.

Quite what Brian O'Driscoll, the second-highest-capped player in the sport's history, had to prove in a game against some electricians, carpenters and students is not obvious.

Yet, judged by the appetite he showed for the game, he looked like a trialist with no other qualifications to fall back on, playing for his first professional contact in the sport he loves.

At one point late in the game, the Irish centre provided cause for alarm by limping away from contact and flexing his knee.

He had sustained the knock while attempting a desperate football-style slide tackle to keep the ball in play. His team were nine tries to the good at that point.

Moments later, he was laying on a try for Jonathan Davies with the sort of deft through ball that would have made Andres Iniesta proud. The man is a wonder.

The Barcelona maestro could not have played it more precisely than O'Driscoll managed, even though the ball he uses is round.

"I'm not meant to be doing that, certainly not in the latter part of games," O'Driscoll said of his strained knee. "It's a little bit tight, but nothing that will be too serious."

Before the tour, Jonathan Sexton, the Lions fly-half, said he had hoped Jonny Wilkinson had made the squad on account of the fact he was "a bit of a legend".

Given everything Wilkinson has achieved in the game, it sort of begged the question, what represents a lot of a legend?

Well, Sexton has never had to look much further than the guy next to him in his backline, first with Leinster, then Ireland, then soon, probably, with the Lions, too.

Not so long ago, it seemed that age might be withering the O'Driscoll legend.

He nursed a leg injury throughout the season, was usurped as Ireland captain by Jamie Heaslip, and even had to contend with some doubters claiming he might not make the plane to Australia.

That seems like nonsense now. The vintage Rolls-Royce of rugby players is purring again, and "almost faultless," according to Jeremy Guscott, that other prince-of-centres-turned-OSN analyst.

Given he was the star turn the last time the Lions toured Australia in 2001, you might think the Wallabies have a ruse to stop O'Driscoll by now.

He thinks the latest Lions incarnation have enough novelty to surprise their hosts, though.

"This team is going to grow with games and we want to try new things to make sure we keep the Wallabies guessing," he said. "Hopefully there is a little bit more to come."

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